We very strongly believe in the benefits for students and their futures. We seek out every possibility to offer such an experience to all families who pursue a Catholic education for their children. Sometimes that requires
financial assistance. One way we can offer assistance is through
Scholarship Granting Opportunities (SGO).

Understanding SGO and funding

Scholarship Granting Opportunities are provided through the Indiana Tax Credit Scholarship program funded by donations. The Tax Credit Scholarship program was created in 2009 with the purpose of assisting families who would not previously been able to enroll their children in a non-public school with financial support. Donors might be:

Corporations

Partnerships

LLCs

PCs

Self-employed persons

Individuals

SGO donors who support students through the Tax Credit Scholarship program generally have the benefit of significantly reduced, after-tax savings cost. The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana partners with the Institute for Quality Education (IQE), which is a 501(c)(3). That means donors may be eligible for the following tax savings:

A 50% Indiana State Tax Credit

A deduction to the full extent of the federal charitable tax laws

An example of what a $10,000 donation might look like with donation dollars through IQE is illustrated in the following table from the Diocese of Indianapolis.

*Please consult your tax advisor for your specific situation. This is for illustration purposes only. Your gift to an SGO is tax-deductible to the full extent of the federal charitable tax laws.

How can you make a Catholic school education possible for a child?

You might be thinking that you are just one person and wondering how you could make a difference. We want you to know that every dollar counts for a child, no matter how small you might consider your donation. Many of the IQE donors for Scholarship Granting Opportunities for students are people just like you:

Catholic school alumni who appreciate the faith-based education they received

Grandparents who see the difference it is making for their grandchildren

Parents of children currently enrolled who feel it important to provide the same opportunity to other children

Businesses or organizations that want to provide the prospect for young people to become productive members of the workforce and community

Donations can be made in a variety of ways:

Make a gift of cash or by check

Make a gift via credit card

Make a gift of stock

Make a gift of a pledge

Make a gift with matching funds

And the impact? The minimum SGO scholarship is $500 per student. Look at it this way, even with the minimum scholarship for a student …

Don’t ever think that a donation of any sort has very little impact. It will, in fact, impact many students for years and that has a huge impact on their future and the future of the communities they will live in as adults. Every dollar has the chance to change the world.

We know the faces we see every morning have tremendous potential for the future. We also know there are more children whose families want to become part of the Our Lady of Grace family. We hope you will join us in making that possible. Together we can truly touch the future.
- Elaine of the Our Lady of Grace Catholic School Blog Team